I, Justice
by Basalit-an
Summary: Anders defends his actions during the Mage-Templar War.


You all call me a monster, yet there you stand with Tranquil at your side and mage blood on your blades. You call me an abomination, maleficarum; you say that I have given into temptation when in fact I have done the very opposite! It is easier to run from your fears than to face them, as I have. It's far more tempting to stay on the safe side than to take a leap of faith off a high cliff. The spirit in me—the spirit who is part of me—it is the spirit of Justice, justice is what I seek for the mages all of you Templars oppress.

Yes, I am responsible for the Chantry in Kirkwall, but I stand by my decision. It's the sacrifice of those innocents, and of myself, that will open the eyes of all throughout Thedas of the plight of mages controlled by the Circle.

I have lived all my years witness to the atrocities that Templars commit every day. I've seen friends and enemies, lovers and rivals alike either killed outright or made Tranquil, and only for the mere sin of being born. All those years, I could only run and wish that I had the means to end this madness.

Justice gives me that power, and it is with it that I can change the world for mages. His thoughts melded with my own, and his power broke down my inhibitions and bolstered my natural abilities. I am not an abomination, but rather a vessel.

An abomination does not seek to end injustice. An abomination only seeks power for its own gain. I seek to free mages, to give us the rights we so deserve. Ah, but you wish to know the how rather than the why. How I was able to so thoroughly destroy the very institution mages live in fear of.

I, too, had a vessel to aid me in this mission. I ask that you do not seek him out, for he is not at fault; he did not know of my intentions, nor did he share my enthusiasm for the end result. In fact, my involving my closest friend of six years lead to the dissolution of our friendship and any trust he still had left in me. I knew this going in. I knew the sacrifice I would have to make for this cause, as Justice had told me.

I came to Hawke, indeed the very Champion of Kirkwall, under the pretense of having found a way to sever myself from Justice. Hawke aided me as I knew he would, as Justice knew he would, for what reason would I have to lie about such a thing? Together, Hawke and I gathered the necessary ingredients, having to fend off dragons and hostile apostates. As we fought side-by-side, I desperately wanted to tell him my plans, and knew that I could not. Should he have discovered me too soon, he would have refused to continue helping me. He might even have tried to stop me, and I could not be certain that Justice wouldn't take matters into his own hands.

I persuaded Hawke to distract the Grand Cleric so that I could sneak into the Chantry unseen. We were fortunate that the Grand Cleric and only one or two sisters were present at that time, and I was able to enter and set the charge without much challenge. I have never before felt so free as I did in that moment, when I prepared the mechanism, knowing that my actions would bring forth change. And have they not? I can see that the Circle's grip on mages has slipped.

But I digress. What you Templars want to know is how. As you can imagine, I did not use dwarven-made explosives, nor was it any simple spell one can find in a dusty old tome at the back of a store room. Rather, Justice provided me with the knowledge. Without Justice, I had been powerless; with Justice, I had the tools and cunning to face you.

No one can replicate what I did, unless Justice chooses a new vessel after you no doubt kill me. My death will not stop what I have put into action. The spirit of Justice cannot be stopped now, you must understand, and I will do all I can to see my actions through. Until you grant mages their freedom and rights, I will not stop. Justice will not stop.

This is not the work of an abomination. A demon leaves only destruction and suffering in its path. For Justice, a new future shall rise out of the** ashes of my action. **

_Anders was taken back to his cell after it was obvious the spirit—or demon—was beginning to take over his mind. Several days later there was an explosion in the brig where Anders was held. Every Templar and prisoner laid dead, and Anders was nowhere to be found._


End file.
